Stapelia gigantea

Native to southern tropical Africa and South Africa, this perennial succulent subshrub in the dogbane family forms clumps of fleshy, four-angled stems about 8 to 12 inches tall. Its star-shaped flowers can reach about 16 inches across. The pale yellow lobes have reddish-purple lines and long hairs along their edges. The flowers smell like rotting flesh, attracting flies that pollinate them. Paired seed pods release seeds with silky hairs that help carry them on the wind. It is naturalized in Hawaii, USA. Photographed in Colombia.